KR102188116B1 - Battery cooler - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates in particular to a heat exchanger 26 which is a battery cooler, the tube 10-the tube 10 has a tube end portion 12 located at the open end of the tube 10, and the tube end portion 12 ) At least partially extended to the non-expanded portion of the tube 10 further away from -, header 14 with an opening 15 and a radially outer wall 17-the non-expanded portion of the tube 10 Fitted through opening 15-through the gasket 16 received by the header 14 to be compressed between the tube 10 and the radially outer wall 17 of the header 14, and the header 14 It comprises a tank component 18 connected to the tube end portion 12. According to this application, the gasket is an O-ring. The present application further relates to a method of assembling such a heat exchanger.

Description

Battery cooler{BATTERY COOLER}

The current general trend towards electronic mobility in the automotive industry derives a general trend towards high capacity, high power output and high current of batteries in the electrical system of vehicles such as electric vehicles. Similar trends can be observed in other fields of technology where an increase in power is required to be provided within a system of limited dimensions. This tendency in particular leads to an increase in the thermal energy generated from the batteries and their surroundings. Accordingly, it is desired to cool the battery in the batteries of an electric vehicle or in a similar environment.

For cooling batteries or batteries of an electric vehicle or similar device, battery coolers are generally known in the art.

An example of a preferred battery cooler to which the present disclosure can be applied is disclosed in German patent application DE 10 2018 208 473.4 of HANON SYSTEMS at 95 Shinilseo-ro 306-230 Daedeok-gu, Daejeon-si, Republic of Korea, filed on May 29, 2018.

Use of heat exchangers (referred to herein as “battery coolers”), shape, size, materials, coatings and fabrication of cooling bodies (referred to herein as “tubes”), manifolds (“tank components” herein) The shape, size, material, coating and manufacture of the manifold base (referred to herein as “header”), the shape, size, material, coating and manufacture of the manifold base (referred to herein as “header”), gasket (referred to herein as “gasket”) The descriptions of DE 10 2018 208 473.4 relating to the shape, size, material, coating and manufacture of) are each incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to a battery cooler, such as the battery cooler described in DE 10 2018 208 473.4, which uses a wide extruded tube inserted between the battery cells, the tube entering the tank component and then the tank component to the tube. It is connected to a hose to provide cooling fluid. Current designs of such battery coolers require a rather complicated and burdensome connection to be formed between the tank components on the one hand and the tube on the other. According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an object is to facilitate connecting the tank component to the tube. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an object is to provide a lower cost solution compared to previous designs. According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, the connection between the tube and the tank component will allow the tube to be insulated, in particular electrically insulated, by a coating applied to the tube prior to assembly, in particular prior to making the connection between the tube and the tank component. will be. A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an alternative design and assembly method to the design and assembly method described in DE 10 2018 208 473.4.

The invention is defined in the independent claims, and preferred additional features are subject to the dependent claims.

According to the present disclosure, the tube and tank components are mechanically assembled without using soldering or welding during the assembly process. This process is, first, easier to perform during manufacture of the battery cooler. Second, mechanical assembly, which does not require soldering or welding in actual assembly steps, allows the tube to be coated (electrically or otherwise) by an insulating coating or by any other coating that may be temperature sensitive. . In other words, the mechanical assembly according to the present disclosure allows the tube to be provided with any coating or made of any material, which is potentially destroyed or damaged by high temperatures such as those experienced during soldering or welding.

According to the present disclosure, assembling the tube and tank component includes providing a tube, placing a header on the tube, and placing a gasket on the tube.

The gasket and header are placed on the tube in such a way that the (free) end of the tube, which is the end to be connected to the tank component by the gasket and header, is accessible for the next step of the assembly process. The gasket and header may be disposed on the tube through the end to be connected with the tank component, but it is of course also possible to place the gasket and header on the tube through the opposite end (if any) of the tube.

According to the present disclosure, the end of the tube to which the tube is connected to the tank component is arranged between the gasket and the header on the one hand and (later later) between the tank component on the other hand.

In a further step, the tube end to be connected to the tank component is expanded. This can be accomplished by using a punching knife or similar object to expand each tube end. The tube end may extend over the entire circumference of the tube, but it is also possible for the tube end to only partially expand. Extending the tube end over the entire circumference allows a more reliable connection of the tube and tank components.

The amount of extension at the end of the tube can in particular be between 0.1 mm and 2.0 mm in battery coolers for electric vehicles, since the aforementioned tube extension, on the one hand, provides sufficient strength in the connection between the tube and the tank component desirable. On the other hand, the expansion is not too large so that the tube material is not damaged by the expansion, and the connection between the tube and the tank component is kept airtight.

The gasket may have a general torus shape such as an O-ring or a modified O-ring. This means that the gasket can be a ring, an ellipse, a racetrack, or can be deformed in plan view and in a cross-sectional view of a portion of the gasket, which can be round, oval or deformed. Shape variations are possible. In plan view, the gasket may have a circular, elliptical or racetrack shape, or even conform to some extent a polygonal, especially rectangular shape. In the context of the present disclosure, considering how the gasket can engage the tube and header, the above-mentioned plan view will be a view along the main extension of the tube, i.e. parallel to the tube central axis and onto the end to be connected to the tank component. .

The gasket may be sized to allow an unexpanded tube to fit into the gasket (round, oval or racetrack shape). The tube may be rigidly engaged with the gasket, or may be of a shape that must be extended to securely engage the gasket. When the gasket is moved to the tube end and the tube end is sufficiently expanded as described above, the tube compresses the gasket outward.

When the tube end is expanded, the tool for expanding the tube end can be removed and the tank component to be connected to the tube can be placed on the expanded end of the tube. Before, after or simultaneously, the gasket and header can be moved towards the tube end to contact the tank component. In this way, the header and tank components that ultimately cooperate to form the connection between the tube and the tank component move towards each other and finally contact each other, and the gasket is not only between the header and the tank component, but also between the header and the tube. Is placed.

When the header and tank component are in contact with each other, the extended end portion of the tube is surrounded by the header or tank component, or both and potentially additional elements such as gaskets. In this configuration, the gasket is compressed in a direction radial to the tube axis, between the extended tube end on the one hand and the header on the other hand. In addition, the tank component contacts the header and the header and tank component are crimped together. Possible ways of crimping the tank component and header together are wavy crimping or tap crimping.

By crimping the tank component and header together with the tank component and/or an expanded tube surrounded by the header and gasket between the header and/or the tank component and the tube, a rigid connection between the tube and the tank component is provided.

According to a preferred disclosure of the present disclosure, the tank component disposed at least partially on the expanded tube end is configured to have a shape that allows the tube to contact the tank component. For example, the tank component may include a recess for receiving an extended tube end, the recess may have an inner step, a flange, or a similar element or shape for abutting the end of the tube. Thus, it is ensured that the tube cannot be pushed into the tank component after the connection between the tube and the tank component. In addition, this allows to provide a clearly defined end position where the tube end is correctly inserted into the tank component. In this position, crimping of the tank component and header can be carried out, and the risk of manufacturing errors, inaccuracies and failure of the device as a potential consequence can be reliably avoided.

Additionally, the header may be shaped and sized to fit securely on the unexpanded tube and to be movable along the tube axis. The shape and size of the header can be selected to avoid moving the extended tube end through the header. That is, the opening in the header for receiving the tube may be sized to allow the unexpanded tube to move through the opening, although the expanded end of the tube is too sturdy to move through the opening.

This reliably prevents the tube from separating from the tank component. In addition or as an alternative to this design of the header and tube, the gasket can also be designed accordingly to provide sufficient force to secure the connection between the tank component and the tube. In this regard, the gasket can be designed to exert a radial compressive force on the tube when the header and tank components are crimped together, this radial compressive force, which means that the expanded tube end is under real circumstances on the one hand and the tube on the other. Can be selected high enough so that it cannot be pulled out of the connection between the tank component and/or the header.

Due to the above-described method, it is possible to provide a relatively inexpensive, easy and very reliable method of connecting a tube of a battery cooler or any similar device on the one hand and a tank component or other terminal element on the other hand. Additionally, since this method is a pure mechanical assembly method without significant thermal effects, it is possible to provide a coating on the tube prior to assembly, which allows the coating to be provided on the tube in a significantly more efficient manner.

The following is a description of an example of the idea illustrated in the following figures.
1 illustrates the finished assembly of tube and tank components.
2 illustrates an exploded view of the elements to be assembled for the assembly of FIG. 1.
3 illustrates some of the elements of FIG. 2 at a stage of the assembly method.
4 illustrates elements for a further step in the assembly method.
5 illustrates a tool for extending the tube end to be connected to a tank component.
6 illustrates the tool also shown in FIG. 5 extending the end of the tube to be connected to the tank component.
7 illustrates the elements of FIG. 2 in a further step of the assembly method.
8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the elements in the step illustrated in FIG. 7.
9 illustrates the elements of FIG. 2 in a further step of the assembly method.
10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the elements in the step illustrated in FIG. 9.
11 is an enlarged view of a part of the example of FIG. 10.
12 illustrates aspects of an easily assembled connection of a tube and tank component as shown in FIG. 10.

In the following, FIGS. 1 to 12 are described in more detail as examples or embodiments of the ideas described in the above summary. It should be noted that the same reference numerals are used for the same elements throughout the description of the embodiment and method illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 12.

1 illustrates an assembly 26 of a tube 10 and a tank component 18. The tank component 18 has a tank opening 24 that allows a fluid for cooling a battery or other device to be supplied into the tube 10.

2 illustrates an exploded view of the assembly 26 of FIG. 1. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the tube 10 has a tube end portion 12 to be connected to the tank component 18. This tube end portion 12 is located at the open end of the tube 10 and extends further downstream to a portion of the tube 10, ie away from the open end. The tube 10 has a flat configuration, in this example comprising a plurality of individual partial tubes, 18 individual partial tubes, each of which has a separate opening 22 at the tube end portion 12, the partial tubes being a tube It is integrally formed to constitute 10. The partial tubes, in this embodiment, are dimensioned to have a substantially square cross section. How many partial tubes are within the common outer wall of tube 10 cannot always be determined from the outside of tube 10, but the present disclosure can be used for many different types of tubes 10. In particular, a flat configuration with a plurality of juxtaposed partial tubes, each individual tube as in this embodiment, is a preferred configuration, which allows a large amount of cooling fluid to be conducted along the battery to be cooled, thereby cooling This is because it allows very efficient heat transfer between the element to be, for example the battery and the cooling fluid. However, it is of course possible for more or less partial tubes to be used in tube 10. It is also possible for the partial tubes to have different shapes and dimensions, and the present disclosure is also applicable to a single tube, i.e. a single tube in which a plurality of partial tubes are not formed in or in the outer wall and the outer wall is the only wall of the tube. .

2 further illustrates a header 14 having a header crimp portion 20 formed integrally with the header 14. The header 14 is a part of the tube 10, i.e., the non-expanded portion of the tube 10 is fitted through the opening 15 of the header 14, surrounds the tube 10 and radially outside the header 14 The tube 10 surrounded by the tube 10 and the header 14 and surrounded by the gasket 16, allowing to receive the gasket 16 around the opening 15 intended to be surrounded by the wall 17 It is dimensioned to be compressed between the radially outer walls 17 and within the opening 15 of the header 14, which will be described in more detail below and illustrated in some of the figures below.

2 further illustrates the tank component 18 being crimped to the header crimp portion 20. For this purpose, the tank component 18 has a tank crimp portion 21 configured to cooperate with the header crimp portion 20 to establish a fit, ie having a size and shape. The embodiment illustrated in the figures herein illustrates a wavy crimp connection between the header 14 and the tank component 18.

3 illustrates the assembly steps of the assembly 26 illustrated in FIG. 1. At this stage, the header 14 is placed on the tube 10 to surround the tube 10 and moved from the open end of the tube 10 to be connected to the tank component 18 so that this end of the tube 10 Make it accessible for further processing. Further, the gasket 16 is disposed on the tube 10 to surround the tube 10 and is received by the header 14. Thus, the gasket 16 is arranged between the tube 10 and the header 14, in particular the outer wall 17 of the header 14 in a radial direction with respect to the tube axis. 3 illustrates a partially assembled configuration of the header 14, the gasket 16, and the tube 10, the header 14 and the gasket 16. 3 also illustrates the tube openings 22 of the partial tubes of the tube 10, the tube to be connected to the tank component 18 when the gasket 16 and header 14 are disposed on the tube 10 It can be seen in FIG. 3 that the end of the tube has not yet expanded but has approximately the same diameter as the rest of the tube 10. This diameter of the end of the tube is sized to allow the header 14, in particular the opening 15 and the gasket 16, to fit and surround the tube 10 from the free end of the tube.

4 illustrates a tool 28 such as a punching knife that can be used to extend the end of the tube 10 to be connected to the tank component 18 to form an expanded tube end portion 12. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the tool 28 includes a plurality of protrusions 30 to be inserted into the tube openings 22 at the free end of the tube 10. In the embodiment illustrated in the figures herein, tube 10 comprises 18 partial tubes. Thus, the tool 28 comprises 18 protrusions 30, each of the protrusions 30 being sized to be pushed into one of the openings 22 of the tube 10, so that the openings 22 ) Each receives one protrusion 30, and after gasket 16 and header 14 slide over the free end of tube 10, it is radially expanded to form an expanded tube end portion 12 .

Thus, FIG. 4 also illustrates the expanded tube end portion 12, ie the portion of the tube 10 which is connected to the tank component 18.

5 is a further illustration of the tool 28 and its protrusions 30. As can be seen in Figure 5, the protrusions have a diameter in which the free ends of the protrusions 13 to be inserted into the openings 22 of the tube 10 are smaller than the ends of the protrusions 30, where the protrusions 30 has a tapered configuration that is attached to a common base of tool 28.

In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 5, tapering of the protrusions 30 is performed in stages. This starts with a small diameter (less than the diameter of the opening 22) and ends with a diameter that may have the same or similar diameter as the corresponding opening 22 in the tube 10, for example. It means that a cone exists. This cut conical shape makes it easy to insert the protrusion 30 into the opening 22 of the tube 10. Further away from the free end of the protrusion 30, there may be a second taper to expand the end of the tube opening 22 and the tube 10 when the protrusion 30 is further inserted into the tube 10. Further away from the free end of the protrusion 30, the protrusion may be cylindrical, ie non-tapered, to form an expanded tube end portion 12 having the same diameter along the tube axis.

The extension of the tube 10, more precisely the extended tube end 12, is in particular of 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm for configurations of the tube 10 used for cooling automotive batteries, for example for electric vehicles. It can be done up to the amount.

6 illustrates the tool 28 and protrusions 30 when inserted into the free end of the tube 10, each of the openings 22 receiving one of the protrusions 30 of the tool 28 . In this way, an extended tube end portion 12 is formed. The expanded tube end portion 12 is formed by plastically deforming the tube 10 (partial tubes of the tube).

As can be further seen in FIG. 6, the tube 10 is a multilayer tube. The tube base 34 is made of a first material and can be used as a substrate for the coating 32 provided on the outer wall of the tube 10. Coating 32 can be, for example, an insulating coating, for example an electrically insulating coating that is particularly useful if tube 10 is used for cooling batteries, which means that tube 10 18) or already provided on the tube 10 before being connected to other devices. Since the method according to the invention does not require soldering or welding steps naturally associated with high temperatures that can damage or even destroy the coatings, the tube 10 and the tank component 18 are It is possible to apply temperature-sensitive coatings 32 on the substrate 34 of (10). This potentially reduces efforts to provide a coated battery cooler or other tube connected to the tank component 18 to a significant extent. In other words, the method allows to provide assemblies with coated tubes at a relatively low cost.

7 illustrates additional steps of the assembly method according to the present disclosure. The tube 10 is provided with a gasket 16 and a header 14, and the extended tube end portion 12 is formed by means of a tool 28 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 and described above, for example.

After retracting the tool 28, the tube 10 retains its expanded configuration at its end 12. That is, the expanded tube end portion 12 is formed by plastically deforming the tube 10 (partial tubes of the tube), and does not return to its original size after retracting the tool 28. After the tool 28 has been retracted from the end portion 12 of the tube 10, the tank component 18 is disposed on the at least partially expanded tube end end 12. The tank component 18 at least partially receives the enlarged tube end portion 12 so that the interior of the tank component 18 has the tank opening 24 forming the openings of the tube 10 (partial tubes of the tube) ( 22) and allow fluid communication.

8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the configuration of FIG. 7. As can be seen in FIG. 8, the extended tube end portion 12 is partially received in the tank component 18 and is in contact with the inner step 36 of the tank component 18 (described in more detail below). . When the tank component 18 is in contact with the end of the tube 10, the header 14 and gasket 16 are moved towards the tank component 18, so that they can contact and be crimped to the tank component 18. have.

9 illustrates the configuration of the tube 10, the header 14 including the gasket 16, and the tank component 18 in the assembled state as in FIG. 1. As can be seen in Fig. 9, the header crimp portion 20 and the tank crimp portion 21 form a wavy crimp connection and thus form fit. As an alternative to or in addition to the wavy crimp, also tab crimp configurations are possible for the present disclosure. By crimping the header 14 to the tank component 18, at least a fluid tight connection is achieved that meets the requirements for fluid tightness in the art.

10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the assembled configuration of the header 14 and tank component 18. As can be seen in FIG. 10, the tank crimp portion 21 and the header crimp portion 20 are disposed adjacent to each other, so that it is possible to crimp the header crimp portion 20 into the tank crimp portion 21. Thus, the header 14 is rigidly connected to the tank component 18. In the case where the header 14 and tank component 18 are in an assembled configuration, an external step 38 is illustrated in FIG. 10 that provides a conformation for the header crimp portion 20 configured as a wavy crimp. In other words, the header crimp portion 20 is crimped to the tank crimp portion 21 as well as form fit provided by the outer step 38 and the header crimp portion 20.

Inside the tank component 18 the internal step 36 previously mentioned in connection with the contact of the end of the tube 10 received in the tank component 18 is illustrated. In addition, it can be seen in FIG. 10 that the gasket 16 is pressed between the outer wall 17 of the header 14 on the one hand and the extended tube end portion 12 on the other hand. The gasket 16 is also pressed between the axial end wall of the header 14 on the one hand and the tank component 18 on the other hand. In this way, a rigid and secure connection between the tube 10 and the tank component 18 is provided.

11 illustrates a further enlarged view of the assembly in an assembled configuration. The expanded tube end portion 12 exemplifies and compresses the gasket 16 against the radially outer wall 17 of the header 14. The gasket 16 is illustrated to overlap the extended tube end portion 12. Upon assembly, the gasket 16 is deformed to fit between the expanded tube end portion 12 and the radially outer wall 17 as well as between the radially outer wall of the header 14 and the tank component 18. The tube 10 is coated prior to connecting the tube 10 to the tank component 18 by means of the header 14 and gasket 16 and deforming the tube 10 to form an expanded tube end portion 12. It can be seen from FIG. 11 that 32 includes a tube base 34 on which it is formed.

12 illustrates the configuration of FIGS. 9 to 11 in an additional cross-sectional view. In FIG. 12, "DT" denotes the outer diameter of the tube 10 at the extended tube end portion 12. "DH" represents the diameter of the opening 15 of the header 14 through which the tube 10 is guided into the interior of the tank component 18.

It can be seen that the outer diameter DT of the tube 10 is larger than the diameter DH of the opening 15 so that there is a conformation that prevents the tube 10 from retracting from the header 14. The inner step 36 means that the tube 10 cannot be pushed further into the tank component 18, and the relative positions of the tank component 18 on the one hand and the header 14 on the other hand are 14) between the radial end wall of the 14) and the tank component 18 on the other hand to ensure that it is fixed by the elastic force of the outer step 38, the header crimp portion 20, the tank crimp portion 21 and the gasket 16 .

The drawings of the present application illustrate a particularly preferred embodiment of a tube and tank component assembly and a method of mechanically assembling the tube and tank component, which allows reliably connecting the tube and tank component without soldering or welding steps. . The present disclosure allows a temperature sensitive material, in particular a coating, to be applied to the tube 10 or other elements of the assembly prior to completing an assembly method that improves reliability and reduces cost, while providing an inexpensive and reliable manufacturing process.

10: tube
12: End of the tube (to be connected to the tank component)
14: header
15: opening of the header
16: gasket
17: radial outer wall of header
18: tank component
20: header crimp portion
21: tank crimp portion
22: tube opening (or partial tube opening)
24: tank opening
26: assembly
28: tool (punching knife)
30: protrusion of the tool (to be inserted into the tube to expand the tube end)
32: coating
34: tube base
36: internal step
38: external step
DH: diameter of header
DT: diameter of tube

Claims (14)

As a heat exchanger 26,
Tube (10)-the tube (10) has a tube end portion (12) located at the open end of the tube (10), and further away from the tube end portion (12) the unexpanded of the tube (10). At least partially extended to part ―,
A header 14 with an opening 15 and a radially outer wall 17-the non-expanded part of the tube 10 is fitted through the opening 15 -,
A gasket (16) received by the header (14) to be compressed between the tube (10) and the radially outer wall (17) of the header (14), and
A tank component (18) connected to the tube end portion (12) through the header (14),
The gasket is an O-ring,
The tank component (18) comprises an inner step (36) or a flange for contact with the tube end portion (12), characterized in that the tube (10) cannot be pushed into the tank component (18). ,
Heat exchanger (26). The method of claim 1,
The gasket 16 is deformed in a plan view to have an oval shape, a race track shape or a polygonal shape,
Heat exchanger (26). The method of claim 1,
The gasket 16 exerts a radial compressive force on the tube when the header 14 and the tank component 18 are crimped together,
Configured to apply an elastic force between the radial end wall of the header 14 and the tank component 18,
Heat exchanger (26). The method of claim 1,
The tube 10 is composed of a plurality of partial tubes each having a tube opening 22 in the tube end portion 12,
The partial tubes are juxtaposed,
The partial tubes have a square cross section,
Heat exchanger (26). The method of claim 1,
The tube 10 is flat,
Heat exchanger (26). The method of claim 1,
The header 14 comprises a header crimp portion 20, the tank component 18 has a tank crimp portion 21,
The tank crimp portion 21 cooperates with the header crimp portion 20 to establish a conformal connection,
Heat exchanger (26). The method of claim 1,
The gasket (16) is compressed between the tank component (18) and the header (14),
Heat exchanger (26). The method of claim 1,
The tank component (18) comprises a recess for receiving the expanded tube end portion (12) in which the tube (10) contacts the tank component (18),
Heat exchanger (26). The method of claim 1,
The inner step (36) or flange for contact with the expanded tube end portion (12) is provided in a recess for receiving the expanded tube end portion (12),
Heat exchanger (26). The method of claim 1,
The opening 15 of the header 14 is too rigid for the expanded tube end portion 12 to move through the opening 15 but allows the non-expanded tube portion to move toward the opening 15. Having an acceptable size,
Heat exchanger (26). As a method of assembling the heat exchanger 26,
Providing a tube (10) having a tube end portion (12) located at the open end of the tube (10);
Placing the header (14) with an opening (15) and a radially outer wall (17) on the tube (10) such that the tube fits through the opening (15) of the header (14);
Placing an O-ring in gasket (16) on the tube (10) to be received by the header (14) between the tube (10) and the radial outer wall (17);
At least partially expanding the tube end portion (12);
Placing a tank component (18) on the extended tube end portion (12) in contact with the header (14)-the gasket (16) is placed between the header (14) and the tank component (18) -; And
Crimping the header (14) and the tank component (18) with the expanded tube end portion (12) surrounded by the tank component (18) and the header (14),
The gasket (16) is characterized in that it fits between the expanded tube end portion (12) and the radially outer wall (17) as well as between the axial end wall of the header (14) and the tank component (18). doing,
Way. The method of claim 11,
The heat exchanger (26) is the heat exchanger of any one of claims 1 to 10,
Way. The method of claim 11,
The tube end portion 12 is expanded by inserting a punching knife into the tube 10 through the tube end portion 12,
Way. The method of claim 1,
The gasket 16 fits between the tube end portion 12 and the radially outer wall 17 of the header 14 as well as between the axial end wall of the header 14 and the tank component 18. Characterized in that,
Heat Exchanger(26)

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